Texas A&M lands 2020 4-Star OL commit in Akinola Ogunbiyi

Texas A&M set itself up in a big way on the offensive line with two major commitments on Saturday. Shortly after the commitment of 2019 five-star offensive tackle Kenyon Green, 2020 four-star Sugar Land, Texas guard Akinola Ogubiyi announced his commitment to the Aggies as well.

In a short period of time, Ogunbiyi had become one of the most sought-after interior linemen in his class, and even though the likes of power programs like LSU and Oklahoma were among the programs that had offered him in the spring, he had his heart set on becoming an Aggie.

“I picked A&M because it’s a place I can get a great education, it’s the SEC, a great coach, close to home, for many reasons,” he said. “Really I just like the culture of the place and the way that it’s laid out. It’s a perfect place for me – the schedule, they have it set up for me to come out there and succeed.”

Spring ended with no shortage of clips circulating on the internet of Ogunbiyi smashing defenders in camps and practices. It’s that sort of smash-mouth style of play that has garnered national interest, but he believes as he continues to develop, he’ll be a more complete player to anchor the offensive line for years to come.

“So far they’ve told me they like me as a guard and maybe as a center as a secondary option,” he said. “I think that the thing they like most about me is my aggressiveness … I’m going to continue working on everything about my game – my flexibility, my explosiveness, my punch, and my pass protection. My coach tells me to keep working to perfect my craft, but nobody’s done that in high school.”

Ogunbiyi said that even though his recruitment has been relatively brief, he’s established a pretty strong relationship with the A&M coaching staff. He’s been to College Station twice and said that his impression of new head coach Jimbo Fisher in particular helped win him over.

“I try to talk to them once a week,” he said. “I love all the coaches out there – the ones that I speak to, Coach (Darrell) Dickey, Coach (Jim) Turner, Jimbo Fisher, they’re all great coaches and I just feel like with their guidance, I could be the best player that I can be.

“Coach Fisher is a lovely, friendly coach, but I can tell when it’s time to get serious and get to work that he has that championship mentality.”

Ogunbiyi said that his family was supportive of his decision as well and he has plans to return on June as well as sometime in July with his father. Even though he’s still early on in his football career, he thinks that A&M is the program that will help him maximize his potential.

“I started playing football my freshman year and didn’t know anything about it until then,” he said. “I am glad that A&M is willing to give me a chance to continue get better at it. I love all the other schools that have offered me, but it’s not a four year decision, it’s a 40-year decision.

“My family thought that it was the best option. They love the school, the atmosphere, the culture, and they think it was the best choice.”